A Month of Taikoversaries
This month, we are celebrating the "taikoversaries" of seven of our current performing members - nearly half the group! Performing members Eddie, Eleanor, Helena, Hitomi, Jason, Jeremy and Rosemary have been reminiscing over their auditions and early days in the group, and how much has changed since joining the ensemble.
Left: Helena helps Rosemary with her
hachimaki (headband) during her early days as a performing member. Getting into costume takes a lot of practice for new members, and sometimes our seasoned members, too!
These performers have been together a long time, dating back to 2010 and earlier. Helena first joined the group in 2004; only artistic director Andrew Thalheimer has been with the group longer! A lot has changed over the years - most notably, we now have our own studio space and equipment van. Eleanor recalls the practice space when she became a member in 2010, when we used classroom space at University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL). The room was so small that only four people could play at a time - not easy for an ensemble of 15-18 members! Then, to make it to a performance, members would load drums, stands, and other equipment into personal vehicles to get to the venue. Today, we have our own studio space where we have plenty of room to practice as a full ensemble, and we no longer have to rely on members to drive minivans and SUV's because we have our own group van that can hold all of our equipment, even for our largest events. As Eleanor notes, we're living in the lap of taiko luxury!
Above: One thing that continues is our fun inside the dashi at the Japanese Festival in St. Louis. At the 2011 festival, Rosemary, Eddie, and Eleanor are in the parade float, ready to introduce people of all ages to taiko.
We're amazed by the continued enthusiasm for taiko that even the longest-standing members have, and we're grateful for their leadership as new taiko enthusiasts come into the group. Here's to many more "taikoversaries" to come!
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Register for Classes
Our Adult Beginning class resumes in January! You will learn the basics of sticking, kata (form), movement, theory, and rhythms of taiko, plus some pieces you can play. In addition to good exercise, it helps improve self-awareness, rhythm, and concentration. It can also relieve stress and is a lot of fun!
Adult Beginning Class
January 6 - March 10
Sundays 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Age 16 and up
Cost: $160 / 10 sessions
Do you have a group of kids, age 5-15, who are interested in playing taiko?
Contact us with the details and to make arrangements for classes.
